Cynthia Leal Massey

Helotes, Where the Texas Hill Country Begins Cynthia Leal Massey

REVISED & UPDATED EDITION! New section on San Geronimo community! Updated to 2020. Helotes became a city in 1981 and celebrates its 40th anniversary of incorporation in 2021; however, the town, named from the word elote, a Nahuatl/Spanish word meaning "corncob," became a known settlement in 1873, with the establishment of a post office. European and Mexican immigrants established ranches in the area starting in the early 1850s, and in 1881, a downtown center was founded with a general store, smithy, and a family homestead. That area is now known as Old Town Helotes, a historic district. Home of the famous honky-tonk, John T. Floore Country Store, Helotes has a rich history, even more intriguing than the myths and legends that have been the "official" lore of the town for decades. This book dispels those myths, offering a thoroughly researched and fascinating account of a town populated by hardworking pioneers, renegade Indians, elusive bandits, and impassioned citizens. Helotes, Where the Texas Hill Country Begins tells the story of a scrappy town that is quintessentially Texan.